Abington resident re-elected Democratic Party chairman

John Walsh, freshly re-elected as chairman of the state Democratic Party, said he believes the party can do better than controlling 90 percent of the Legislature and every constitutional office.

“I anticipate there will be contests in 2010, and we’re not shying away from those,” the lifelong Abington resident said. “We’re anxious to defend our record and our policies and to be aggressive in contesting some Republican seats.”

Walsh was unanimously elected to a four-year term Thursday night at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester.

Walsh said the party will be recruiting candidates to try for seats held by Republicans, calling these contests the Democrats’ top priority. On the South Shore, those include seats held by state Reps. Susan Gifford, Daniel K. Webster and Vinny deMacedo in Plymouth County and state Sen. Robert Hedlund, whose district includes areas in both Plymouth and Norfolk counties.